State of Indian Nations

Each year, the President of the National Congress of American Indians presents the State of Indian Nations address to members of Congress, government officials, tribal leaders and citizens, and the American public. Delivered during the week that the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union, the State of Indian Nations is a speech that shares the positive and future-oriented vision of tribal nations. The speech outlines the goals of tribal leaders, the opportunities for success and advancement of Native peoples, and priorities to advance our nation-to-nation relationship with the United States.

The speech is delivered to a live studio audience in Washington, DC and broadcast across the nation and around the globe to policymakers, citizens, and students. Recent speeches have reached audiences of over 20,000 people. The speech reflects on the state of our nation-to-nation relationship and offers concrete recommendations where Congress and the Administration can partner more closely with tribal nations.

To facilitate direct engagement between Congress and tribal nations, a member of Congress is invited each year to deliver a Congressional response to the State of Indian Nations. Previous Congressional speakers have included Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Representative Tom Cole, among others. The event concludes with a live, interactive Q&A session with the audience, press, and those engaging via social media.